The Giant Schnauzer
1 Year 2 Years 3 Years
Few would argue that a well groomed, well behaved adult Giant Schnauzer is a sight to behold. Regal and serious are two words that come to mind when I think of the breed. With a powerful, ground eating stride the Giant can make a person just stop to silent watch them. When greeting a friend they give an excited bark. They are playful and funny with their friends. They are serious and intense when faced with a perceived threat. The Giant has a deep bear growl that would make even an hardened bad guy think twice. If that's not enough, the flash of big gleaming white teeth is enough to deter anyone crazy enough not to be stopped by the growl.
I felt confident that I could handle a Giant Schnauzer puppy. I have raised a good number of Dobermans, German Shepherds, Cairn Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers. I have trained through our facility a number of pure & mixed breeds to include Pit Bulls, Mastiffs, Boxers, Labradors, Golden Retrievers. I've trained with many of the rare or seldom heard of breeds. I have worked with dogs from all over the world. With all that experience, we were not prepared for one Giant Schnauzer puppy. So I do not present this information as a master of the Giant Schnauzer breed but as a first time Giant owner who wishes to share with others who might be considering this breed. For those of you who have been there before me, you will completely understand. For those trying to survive the rearing of a Giant, my intentions are to give you hope. There is a light at the end of the young Giant tunnel, it just takes years to get there.
I felt confident that I could handle a Giant Schnauzer puppy. I have raised a good number of Dobermans, German Shepherds, Cairn Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers. I have trained through our facility a number of pure & mixed breeds to include Pit Bulls, Mastiffs, Boxers, Labradors, Golden Retrievers. I've trained with many of the rare or seldom heard of breeds. I have worked with dogs from all over the world. With all that experience, we were not prepared for one Giant Schnauzer puppy. So I do not present this information as a master of the Giant Schnauzer breed but as a first time Giant owner who wishes to share with others who might be considering this breed. For those of you who have been there before me, you will completely understand. For those trying to survive the rearing of a Giant, my intentions are to give you hope. There is a light at the end of the young Giant tunnel, it just takes years to get there.
My Giant arrived at five months of age. She walked off the plane a little unsettled but one look at me & I was her human; end of discussion. We discovered little things on that trip home. She did not like for her 'herd' to be separated. If my husband was leading her & I lagged behind, she would fuss until we were all three together. She didn't mind the crate until she got home. Then it was like a cartoon of us trying to get her inside & her becoming all legs to prevent going in that box. She made noises that sounded like a mule rather than a dog. In a stroke of genius, I brought in my old Collie's crate. The Collie is a steady, no nonsense kind of dog who loves her crate. So when her crate was put in the house & she was given a chance to get in it, she went right in, lay down and issued a huge sigh of pleasure. My Giant pup, former slap-stick cartoon with a hundred long legs watched the Collie & went right into her crate, turned around, lay down & waited to see what they were to do next. My dogs all eat in their crates as a general rule. So the reward of food was a nice thing for her. The pup took her cues from the old dog.
For the first week on our farm we walked our pup outside on lead. She had to sit before we opened the house door, she had to wait until we walked out then gave her the okay. Nothing I hate more than a dog who bowls you over as she flies out the door. So we establish good habits from day one. By the end of that week she was a mass of quivering energy just waiting to explode. So my husband took her to one side of the yard (maybe 50 steps apart) & he took her off leash & I called her to me. She flew like a black rocket to me. He would then call her. Encouraging her to run like this burned off energy plus taught her the beginnings of a recall. My Giant puppy learned quickly things that she wanted to learn. My pup had to run. Every evening there would be a point which she would start getting into trouble, chewing, biting furniture, annoying the older dogs, etc... This was her way of telling us she needed to run. And run she would! I call it the zoomies, where the dog runs to the point that all the energy is spent & she flops down on the ground, tongue lolled out. That was the high sign to go back to the house.
My Giant is fed a natural diet of raw meat, raw meaty bones, eggs, etc... The raw meaty bones keep the teeth extremely clean & exercise those jaws to keep them strong. Do not allow your Giant to become overweight. Because of their athletic abilities an over weight Giant is a recipe for injury. Giant pups need to chew. Rawhide chews need not apply as chew items for a Giant because they are dangerous. You'll need to keep things around. Mine pounced on her bones, making a game of stalking them. Giants are excellent jumpers, though I would recommend care until they're over a year old to protect their growing joints. There are a number of ways to exercise a Giant Schnauzer but rest assured, you either help them burn off the energy or they will make up their own entertainment. If you like your house, you'll help them burn off the energy. If you don't, I'd hate to see the wreckage left behind.
What some might call 'nervy' is nothing more than immaturity in the Giant Schnauzer puppy. I can not express strongly enough that this breed matures slowly. If you're accustomed to herding breeds who will be working at high levels even as young as 6-8 months, the young Giant at a year is still a bit like a cartoon. Mine had zero tolerance of change. I'm a creature of habit. I came home from work, put my bag & purse on the couch. My purse was always behind the larger backpack. One day I came in & the purse was on the top. My Giant pup treed the thing was wrong & was prepared to bark the house down. My husband had a coffee cup from a gas station. The original had a flaw so when he went back the business exchanged it for him. Same look, size, color, logos, etc... but the dog knew it was not the same. You could not fool her. This drove my husband crazy. To me I saw a measure of potential. In my eyes, if she is that perceptive, how good could she be at warning me when I enter my home if something is out of place that might indicate an intruder? As it turns out, now that she's older, that is exactly how this trait has translated. Of course, it was not so fun at the time. Likewise with strangers in our home, she was content to lie at my feet. But if the person got up to go to the kitchen, they were not allowed to rejoin us in the living room without Giant warning. Again, not nervy, not damaged dog. This is guardian instincts that have not matured.
Another word about the guardian within the Giant puppy. Far too many people would see this & wish to encourage it. "Watch him" or "get him" or some other such nonsense. In my professional opinion, the well bred Giant does not need to be put into a frenzy by this sort of encouragement. At 5-6 months of age, my Giant pup would go to the end of her leash & give a full, deep warning bark. This was not a play thing nor was it a bluff. By 7 months she would push me aside to go after predators on the farm including a snake she took out from under a chicken on the next box. She feared not man nor beast when it came to my safety or those of our animals. To tease or encourage that behavior -many think it's cute- is dangerous. It's like putting a loaded gun in a toddler's hand. I shudder to think what could happen. Then even well meaning people have ruined their dog & now have an aggressive, dangerous dog. It does NOT need to be this way. If the Giant pup is bothered by something, it is your responsibility to be her interpreter. If it's the mailman delivering mail, tell your dog, "It's okay" then call out a friendly greeting, "Hi there? How are you?" to let the dog know this is okay, this person is not a threat. If the person is some stranger & you feel unsafe. That's the time to simply say nothing. Take the pup inside to safety & stay there with the dog or in the least protect your dog's learning by not putting him her in a frenzy. Giant Schnauzers do NOT need to be egged on. You'll be spending most of your time bringing to the dog's awareness that 'it's okay'. Our dogs must be good citizens. We must stabilize them through training so that on the rare event where you need your dog to use those guardian instincts, she will stand her ground.
My Giant is a follower by nature. If the older dogs do something, she follows along. Since I have two very tiny Chihuahuas, that might mean she would be found low crawling under the coffee table. One day she tried to go under the couch. The problem is that she has no awareness of how big she is so when she stood up, the couch had her. In her young mind she probably thought it was attacking her. Next thing I know the little dogs are barking, the Collie is yipping, the Giant cartoon is running in circles for her life & headed for the front door. Bam! Bam! BAM! as she tried to go out & the couch slammed against the front door. Finally she got dislodged and she was free. She ran to the water hydrant & barked her head off. That couch tried to eat her!
For the first week on our farm we walked our pup outside on lead. She had to sit before we opened the house door, she had to wait until we walked out then gave her the okay. Nothing I hate more than a dog who bowls you over as she flies out the door. So we establish good habits from day one. By the end of that week she was a mass of quivering energy just waiting to explode. So my husband took her to one side of the yard (maybe 50 steps apart) & he took her off leash & I called her to me. She flew like a black rocket to me. He would then call her. Encouraging her to run like this burned off energy plus taught her the beginnings of a recall. My Giant puppy learned quickly things that she wanted to learn. My pup had to run. Every evening there would be a point which she would start getting into trouble, chewing, biting furniture, annoying the older dogs, etc... This was her way of telling us she needed to run. And run she would! I call it the zoomies, where the dog runs to the point that all the energy is spent & she flops down on the ground, tongue lolled out. That was the high sign to go back to the house.
My Giant is fed a natural diet of raw meat, raw meaty bones, eggs, etc... The raw meaty bones keep the teeth extremely clean & exercise those jaws to keep them strong. Do not allow your Giant to become overweight. Because of their athletic abilities an over weight Giant is a recipe for injury. Giant pups need to chew. Rawhide chews need not apply as chew items for a Giant because they are dangerous. You'll need to keep things around. Mine pounced on her bones, making a game of stalking them. Giants are excellent jumpers, though I would recommend care until they're over a year old to protect their growing joints. There are a number of ways to exercise a Giant Schnauzer but rest assured, you either help them burn off the energy or they will make up their own entertainment. If you like your house, you'll help them burn off the energy. If you don't, I'd hate to see the wreckage left behind.
What some might call 'nervy' is nothing more than immaturity in the Giant Schnauzer puppy. I can not express strongly enough that this breed matures slowly. If you're accustomed to herding breeds who will be working at high levels even as young as 6-8 months, the young Giant at a year is still a bit like a cartoon. Mine had zero tolerance of change. I'm a creature of habit. I came home from work, put my bag & purse on the couch. My purse was always behind the larger backpack. One day I came in & the purse was on the top. My Giant pup treed the thing was wrong & was prepared to bark the house down. My husband had a coffee cup from a gas station. The original had a flaw so when he went back the business exchanged it for him. Same look, size, color, logos, etc... but the dog knew it was not the same. You could not fool her. This drove my husband crazy. To me I saw a measure of potential. In my eyes, if she is that perceptive, how good could she be at warning me when I enter my home if something is out of place that might indicate an intruder? As it turns out, now that she's older, that is exactly how this trait has translated. Of course, it was not so fun at the time. Likewise with strangers in our home, she was content to lie at my feet. But if the person got up to go to the kitchen, they were not allowed to rejoin us in the living room without Giant warning. Again, not nervy, not damaged dog. This is guardian instincts that have not matured.
Another word about the guardian within the Giant puppy. Far too many people would see this & wish to encourage it. "Watch him" or "get him" or some other such nonsense. In my professional opinion, the well bred Giant does not need to be put into a frenzy by this sort of encouragement. At 5-6 months of age, my Giant pup would go to the end of her leash & give a full, deep warning bark. This was not a play thing nor was it a bluff. By 7 months she would push me aside to go after predators on the farm including a snake she took out from under a chicken on the next box. She feared not man nor beast when it came to my safety or those of our animals. To tease or encourage that behavior -many think it's cute- is dangerous. It's like putting a loaded gun in a toddler's hand. I shudder to think what could happen. Then even well meaning people have ruined their dog & now have an aggressive, dangerous dog. It does NOT need to be this way. If the Giant pup is bothered by something, it is your responsibility to be her interpreter. If it's the mailman delivering mail, tell your dog, "It's okay" then call out a friendly greeting, "Hi there? How are you?" to let the dog know this is okay, this person is not a threat. If the person is some stranger & you feel unsafe. That's the time to simply say nothing. Take the pup inside to safety & stay there with the dog or in the least protect your dog's learning by not putting him her in a frenzy. Giant Schnauzers do NOT need to be egged on. You'll be spending most of your time bringing to the dog's awareness that 'it's okay'. Our dogs must be good citizens. We must stabilize them through training so that on the rare event where you need your dog to use those guardian instincts, she will stand her ground.
My Giant is a follower by nature. If the older dogs do something, she follows along. Since I have two very tiny Chihuahuas, that might mean she would be found low crawling under the coffee table. One day she tried to go under the couch. The problem is that she has no awareness of how big she is so when she stood up, the couch had her. In her young mind she probably thought it was attacking her. Next thing I know the little dogs are barking, the Collie is yipping, the Giant cartoon is running in circles for her life & headed for the front door. Bam! Bam! BAM! as she tried to go out & the couch slammed against the front door. Finally she got dislodged and she was free. She ran to the water hydrant & barked her head off. That couch tried to eat her!
If you are picky about the perfect cleanliness of the house, a Giant puppy may not be for you. Mine is a natural water dog. What this means is there's not a water puddle, mud puddle, water trough, pond or stream that she would want to miss out on splashing around in. She loved our pool. I feel bad for her now that we live in the desert & the water play opportunities are limited. Yet she is positive hosing her off outside in the yard & not in the shower is barbaric! Yet if you hold the hose out she will bite at the water & have a fun time. I love a clean house as much as the next person but the feet & leg furnishings (if you keep your Giant in their traditional cut) will bring in burs, grass clippings & such. My breeder had options for us concerning the type of Giant Schnauzer coat we sought. Since I was on the farm, we got furnishings that were not as sparse as the German coat but no where near the thick teddy bear coat of the American coated dogs. Make certain you consider well in advance if you're willing to learn to groom or pay for grooming services. The heavier coat is beautiful but it does require more care.
Where training is concerned, my Giant has been a puzzle. As a young dog she shut down so easily. Teaching a dog by fear or intimidation is never a smart plan, it's a disastrous plan with a breed like the Giant. They want to be involved in everything their humans do, this means if you're painting there's likely to be a little paint on the dog somewhere, gardening means dirt, folding laundry means she will be leaning against my leg. So rather than doing formal training lessons, I incorporated her training into daily life. She does better at unrestrained work than the type of work I did with my Dobermans & herding dogs yet she retains much of the information from those formal lessons. The problem is the young Giant has a big body, big movement, big ways and, well, a Giant personality. Maturity doesn't happen for some time.
By the time my Giant was eighteen months old I could trust her loose in the house while I ran to the store but I could not always trust her to hold a stay for thirty seconds. Part of this is immaturity, part of this is that the dog simply doesn't see a point in the exercise, so why do it. She is easily bored. By the time she was two some of the puppy crazies were starting to die down only to rear their maniac-heads when she needed more exercise. At age three, things really started to look hopeful. Like maybe we were going to survive the raising a Giant Schnauzer! She still has her zoomies but rather than breaking out in a party-run multiple times a day she's down to one big running fit per day.
Where training is concerned, my Giant has been a puzzle. As a young dog she shut down so easily. Teaching a dog by fear or intimidation is never a smart plan, it's a disastrous plan with a breed like the Giant. They want to be involved in everything their humans do, this means if you're painting there's likely to be a little paint on the dog somewhere, gardening means dirt, folding laundry means she will be leaning against my leg. So rather than doing formal training lessons, I incorporated her training into daily life. She does better at unrestrained work than the type of work I did with my Dobermans & herding dogs yet she retains much of the information from those formal lessons. The problem is the young Giant has a big body, big movement, big ways and, well, a Giant personality. Maturity doesn't happen for some time.
By the time my Giant was eighteen months old I could trust her loose in the house while I ran to the store but I could not always trust her to hold a stay for thirty seconds. Part of this is immaturity, part of this is that the dog simply doesn't see a point in the exercise, so why do it. She is easily bored. By the time she was two some of the puppy crazies were starting to die down only to rear their maniac-heads when she needed more exercise. At age three, things really started to look hopeful. Like maybe we were going to survive the raising a Giant Schnauzer! She still has her zoomies but rather than breaking out in a party-run multiple times a day she's down to one big running fit per day.
Our Giant was selected specifically because she was gentle with the breeder's mini Schnauzers. As you can see from the photos we have some very tiny Chihuahuas. My Collie had no trouble working around & being guardian for the tiny ones. The only issue we've had is with the puppy-stuff. When she gets her blood up & wants to rip & snort around the yard or house she is sent away from the little dogs. The eldest has never trusted the big dog to understand how fragile they are. This Giant allows her little tyrants to correct her, the little red dog made no bones about yanking whiskers or beard of the big pup got too frisky or nosey into 'little dog business'. Sadly, August 2014, we lost our little red girl. It is a precautionary tale for all large dog owners who have small dogs as well (or who let their big dogs interact with the wee ones). A man was standing on the street staring at our home. The little dogs charged out to tell him to leave. (They are tiny but they are still little predators complete with excellent senses.) The Giant hears her little ones & perceives that they are in danger, so she comes storming around the house & attempted to jump between this stranger & her little dogs. There is a large fence but to the Giant, she takes no risks with protecting what is hers. Sadly, when she landed the little red Chihuahua was under her & was killed. There was no malicious intent. That Giant would die in the service of protecting her family. This was simply an accident. We have altered how the dogs are together. The Giant has a large learning capacity as she has learned to move slow or stop & stand still while we catch our new pup. The new pup thinks Giant Schnauzers are the best playmates ever! The same is said for baby birds, the Green Cheek Conure birds we had. They would scold her, correct her, yank a whisker (Conures can be naughty) all without fear of the Giant. And she would protect them too. It was always up to me to ensure the dog did not suffer for her acceptance of their behavior.
My dog is nearing her fourth birthday now. She has a running fit once a day to once every other day. They are shorter bursts of excitement followed by prancing around & a happy face. She still has tons of energy. She can jump flat footed above my shoulders (excellent jumpers). She loves a good bones to chew, keeping her eye on the little dogs & patrolling the yard. Also keep in mind, this is an extremely powerful breed that sometimes do not realize their own strength.
When birds of prey come to call the Giant is there to tell them to buzz off. No one walks near our yard without knowing our grounds are patrolled by the keen eye of the Giant (or a bear... when she growls I think she's part Grizzly). She lays at my feet often while I write or work. When I sew, she will stand for long periods just wrapped around my legs to let me know she is near. I am her groom, her trainer & friend. I love my Giant Schnauzer but I often do not advise people to start with one unless they have a very good sense of humor, a ton of patience & a complete understanding of how slow they mature & what disasters they can be until they get there. I mean, let's face it, many people laugh at my stories of living with this dog but if they had to live it, not so much. You haven't lived until you see your Giant flying through the yard with the devil chasing her only to find the 'devil' is in fact the Hoover hard floor cleaner...airborne...behind her. Fun times! I even laugh now.
My dog is nearing her fourth birthday now. She has a running fit once a day to once every other day. They are shorter bursts of excitement followed by prancing around & a happy face. She still has tons of energy. She can jump flat footed above my shoulders (excellent jumpers). She loves a good bones to chew, keeping her eye on the little dogs & patrolling the yard. Also keep in mind, this is an extremely powerful breed that sometimes do not realize their own strength.
When birds of prey come to call the Giant is there to tell them to buzz off. No one walks near our yard without knowing our grounds are patrolled by the keen eye of the Giant (or a bear... when she growls I think she's part Grizzly). She lays at my feet often while I write or work. When I sew, she will stand for long periods just wrapped around my legs to let me know she is near. I am her groom, her trainer & friend. I love my Giant Schnauzer but I often do not advise people to start with one unless they have a very good sense of humor, a ton of patience & a complete understanding of how slow they mature & what disasters they can be until they get there. I mean, let's face it, many people laugh at my stories of living with this dog but if they had to live it, not so much. You haven't lived until you see your Giant flying through the yard with the devil chasing her only to find the 'devil' is in fact the Hoover hard floor cleaner...airborne...behind her. Fun times! I even laugh now.
In closing, I would add that I love the breed. They present a long time dog handler/trainer a challenge of understanding a breed that works nothing like I'm accustomed to but I plead with my readers to consider these things before buying a Giant. If you want to skip the puppy crazies, consider getting a mature Giant in need of a home. I do not for a moment believe I have a strange dog. Throughout this journey I have emailed my dog's breeder & asked, "Is this my individual dog? Or is this normal for her age at this point with the breed?" Each time the answer has come back, "Normal. Patience, patience, patience." I am extremely patient & willing to work at the speed in which the dog is ready. In all honesty, we were not prepared. Fortunately our breeder was patient & kind enough to offer a word of support.
I would not trade my Giant for any other dog. She is loving and fiercely loyal. She is intense in her desire to protect us & despite the accident that happened with our little dog, I know she would never deliberately do harm to one of our own. At 4 years of age, she's beginning to age like fine wine. Less crazy-town, more wisdom & thinking. In the dark of night, when we hear a sound, the Giant can be trusted. But to potential Giant owners, it is a huge commitment. Raising a Giant is not a race to be won with speed but with patience, guidance & intelligence. If you can do that, you will have a wonderful companions for many years.
I would not trade my Giant for any other dog. She is loving and fiercely loyal. She is intense in her desire to protect us & despite the accident that happened with our little dog, I know she would never deliberately do harm to one of our own. At 4 years of age, she's beginning to age like fine wine. Less crazy-town, more wisdom & thinking. In the dark of night, when we hear a sound, the Giant can be trusted. But to potential Giant owners, it is a huge commitment. Raising a Giant is not a race to be won with speed but with patience, guidance & intelligence. If you can do that, you will have a wonderful companions for many years.